Mila

Mila is a Slavic feminine name, a short form of longer names containing the element milu, meaning "gracious," "dear," or "beloved" — the same root as the Slavic word for love and affection. It has been popular in Eastern Europe for centuries and spread into Western naming culture in the 2000s, arriving with a soft, melodic quality that has made it beloved across language backgrounds.

Mila ranks #198 among America's most popular pet names, part of the wave of Slavic names — alongside Mila, Luca, and Zara — that have crossed over into mainstream American pet naming in recent years. It has a gentle, musical quality: the soft M, the flowing vowels, the light ending. Mila suits companions with a graceful, affectionate nature — the ones who move quietly, who prefer closeness to distance, and who have a way of being present that makes the whole room feel calmer.